Take a walk, Strawberry
TAMPA, Fla. - Darryl Strawberry shouldn't be playing with rookies, the Detroit Tigers say. The eight-time All-Star doesn't belong in the Gulf Coast League, the league's president says.
On Friday, the rookie-league Tigers sent the same message to Strawberry and the New York Yankees - in the form of five intentional walks.
Detroit general manager Joe Klein admitted he told his pitchers to walk Strawberry every time he came to the plate in the game between the Yankees' and Tigers' teams.
"I guess I'm guilty," Klein said. "I hope the next time we face him, he walks five times again."
"Quite frankly, I don't think he should be here," Gulf Coast League president Tom Saffell said.
"It's nothing against Strawberry. It's just that I don't think major leaguers should be rehabbing in this league. We've had meetings about this, long before Darryl came into this league."
Royals hope to stay
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Ewing Kauffman's plan to keep the Royals in Kansas City moved forward Friday when the team was signed over to a charitable organization.
The same board of directors that has run the club since Kauffman's death in 1993 will remain, and will have six years to find local permanent ownership.
The Internal Revenue Service, after scrutinizing the complicated succession plan for 26 months, gave its OK May 2, and Major League owners voted unanimous approval June 8.
Rockies to sign top pick
DENVER - The Colorado Rockies reached a contract agreement Friday with first-round draft pick Todd Helton, the college player of the year.
Helton, who hit .407 with 20 home runs and 92 RBI for Tennessee, will sign the contract at a news conference Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn. He will be assigned to the club's Class A team in Asheville, N.C.
Helton, who also played quarterback on the Volunteers' football team, holds 19 school baseball records.